Robert Ray: The Framers Did Not Want Impeachment To Be Turned into a Political Weapon

MACCALLUM What about this ░░░░░░░░ from The Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ s impeachment defense is ░░░░░░░░ to destroy guardrails on ░░░░░░░░ power And it goes ░░░░░░░░ to say the defense ░░░░░░░░ they filed Monday argues ░░░░░░░░ the President did absolutely ░░░░░░░░ wrong that Mr Trump ░░░░░░░░ entirely within his rights ░░░░░░░░ he refused all cooperation ░░░░░░░░ the House impeachment inquiry ░░░░░░░░ asked senators to ratify ░░░░░░░░ positions Mr Trump and ░░░░░░░░ lawyers are in effect ░░░░░░░░ consent for an extraordinary ░░░░░░░░ of presidential powers RAY ░░░░░░░░ I had said before ░░░░░░░░ principal guardrail in our ░░░░░░░░ structure with regard to ░░░░░░░░ question about overreach of ░░░░░░░░ is quite simple It ░░░░░░░░ coming up in nine ░░░░░░░░ It s called an ░░░░░░░░ That s how we ░░░░░░░░ with that The exception ░░░░░░░░ that rule is something ░░░░░░░░ extraordinary As a measure ░░░░░░░░ last resort in our ░░░░░░░░ parlance today the nuclear ░░░░░░░░ of overturning the will ░░░░░░░░ the electorate and not ░░░░░░░░ until the next election ░░░░░░░░ order to remove a ░░░░░░░░ from office that s ░░░░░░░░ extraordinary thing It s ░░░░░░░░ actually happened in our ░░░░░░░░ The closest that we ░░░░░░░░ to was faced with ░░░░░░░░ prospect president Nixon resigned ░░░░░░░░ we have now lived ░░░░░░░░ the course of the ░░░░░░░░ 45 years in a ░░░░░░░░ now where I fear ░░░░░░░░ what we re turning ░░░░░░░░ into is any time ░░░░░░░░ is a collection of ░░░░░░░░ in the House of ░░░░░░░░ that can impeach when ░░░░░░░░ have the votes to ░░░░░░░░ so that we re ░░░░░░░░ going to call upon ░░░░░░░░ Senate to actually resolve ░░░░░░░░ MACCALLUM And it s ░░░░░░░░ we re talking about ░░░░░░░░ Framers and their differing ░░░░░░░░ on this but it ░░░░░░░░ clear the Framers were ░░░░░░░░ about that They did ░░░░░░░░ want it to be ░░░░░░░░ into a political weapon ░░░░░░░░ be used by a ░░░░░░░░ that s in majority ░░░░░░░░ And it s sort ░░░░░░░░ an irony that you ░░░░░░░░ cite Alexander Hamilton for ░░░░░░░░ reverse proposition since Alexander ░░░░░░░░ in our history there ░░░░░░░░ no greater proponent of ░░░░░░░░ power and a concern ░░░░░░░░ making sure that there ░░░░░░░░ plenty of room a ░░░░░░░░ wide berth for the ░░░░░░░░ of executive power Sort ░░░░░░░░ ironic that Adam Schiff ░░░░░░░░ be citing Alexander Hamilton ░░░░░░░░ think somewhat out of ░░░░░░░░ Alexander Hamilton well understood ░░░░░░░░ limits of treason bribery ░░░░░░░░ other high crimes and ░░░░░░░░ MACCALLUM Very quickly because ░░░░░░░░ got to listen in ░░░░░░░░ what s going on ░░░░░░░░ the floor It seems ░░░░░░░░ me that it is ░░░░░░░░ to the American people ░░░░░░░░ watch this in some ░░░░░░░░ because as a defendant ░░░░░░░░ re not asked to ░░░░░░░░ your innocence Or to ░░░░░░░░ the other side find ░░░░░░░░ guilty RAY Right And ░░░░░░░░ American understands that as ░░░░░░░░ fundamental tenet of basic ░░░░░░░░ It s embodied in ░░░░░░░░ Bill of Rights You ░░░░░░░░ t always see that ░░░░░░░░ by enumerating which particular ░░░░░░░░ of right it is ░░░░░░░░ every American sort of ░░░░░░░░ knows about fairness and ░░░░░░░░ s where it comes ░░░░░░░░ It comes from the ░░░░░░░░ of Rights And the ░░░░░░░░ of the matter is ░░░░░░░░ House managers have to ░░░░░░░░ their case The president ░░░░░░░░ t have to do ░░░░░░░░ MACCALLUM Robert Ray thank ░░░░░░░░ very much Good to ░░░░░░░░ you here tonight.”